The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey is the country’s largest public institution of health sciences, but unlike other states, it is not affiliated with a research university. A new report on higher education in New Jersey is calling for the merger of the medical school with Rutgers University.
Like Boston Medical Center, the clinical arm of the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School is a large, urban hospital that provides care for the underserved. University Hospital in Newark is also carrying debt of $125 million. Any merger would have to address the hospital’s shaky finances.
It’s heartening to hear about a state government take medical education seriously. Seeing how the leaders in New Jersey follow through on the commission’s recommendations will be instructive for other academic medical centers seeking to implement systemic change.